Last year, the Sprint Fan Vote winner had to finish on the lead lap to advance to the all-star race. The previous two years, according to the rules announced in the drivers meeting for those races, the fan-vote winner just needed to have a car in raceable condition.

NASCAR announced in February that the rule would continue to require a lead-lap finish, and publicity materials for several years have stated that’s the case. But on Wednesday, NASCAR announced that no lead-lap finish would be required this year.

That had fans dubbing the change as the “Danica Rule,” although it is highly unlikely that a driver running at the end of the race will not be on the lead lap of the 40-lap Sprint Showdown. The popular Patrick was ninth among 23 drivers in Sprint Showdown practice Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“My understanding, that was a mistake by NASCAR (it admitted) earlier in the week,” Patrick said. “Outside of that, I have absolutely no idea what the rules (were) in the past, what they’re going to be, what they have been.

“It’s all new to me.”

Patrick is one of the four top vote getters along with (in alphabetical order) Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte and Martin Truex Jr.; Michael Waltrip was among the top five but has no ride for the race.

Patrick is not banking on getting in on the fan vote. The top-two finishers in the Showdown advance to the all-star race.

“I feel like I’m very lucky to have so many great fans and all of my partners and everybody involved did a good job of promoting the fan vote,” Patrick said. “Hopefully that’s there.

“But I’d rather just focus on racing my way in. If I need the fan vote, then I’ll cross my fingers.”